Closures and curtailments for Canfor

Canfor, one of the world's largest forest products companies, is shuttering two of its sawmills in British Columbia. Approximately 500 employees will be "impacted" by the closures, per the company. Additionally, Canfor is also curtailing production at its facilities in South Carolina, Georgia and throughout the Southeast, resulting in a production reduction of roughly 215 million board feet per year.

Canfor CEO Don Kayne, who cites the company's 85-year track record of doing business in British Columbia, said in a statement:

"... We have always been prepared to manage through challenging times and market fluctuations, recognizing the cyclical nature of our business. However, in recent years, increasing regulatory complexity, high operating costs, and the inability to reliably access economically viable timber to support our manufacturing facilities has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of losses in our B.C. operations.

The operating challenges we face have been further exacerbated by increases in the punitive US tariffs announced on August 13—tariffs that are expected to more than double again next year. Continuing to operate under these conditions would prolong the punishing anti-dumping duties and put additional operations at risk. As a result, we are making the incredibly difficult decision to close our operations in Vanderhoof and Fort St. John.

We are devastated by the decline in our province’s foundational forest industry, and we recognize the impact these closures will have on our employees and their families, as well as our First Nations partners, contractors, suppliers, communities, and customers. We are committed to supporting our employees and will work with our union partners on an employee transition plan, including severance. The wind down of operations is expected to be complete by the end of the year."